Cisco Packet Tracer: Getting Started
Dr. Vasileios Memos
To obtain and install your copy of Cisco Packet Tracer, follow the instructions at the
following link:
[Link]
Getting Started with Cisco Packet Tracer:
[Link]
1.1 The Cisco Packet Tracer Interface
1.1.1 The Packet Tracer User Interface
Packet Tracer is a tool that allows you to simulate real networks. It provides three
main menus that you can use for the following:
Add devices and connect them via cables or wireless
Select, delete, inspect, label, and group components within your network
Manage your network
The network management menu lets you do the following:
Open an existing/sample network
Save your current network
Modify your user profile or your preferences
For more information, watch the video in [Link] to learn how to use the
menus and navigate the interface.
1.1.2 Deploying Devices
Now that you have some familiarity with the interface and the menus, you can start
deploying devices in Packet Tracer.
For more information, watch the video in [Link] to learn how to deploy
devices.
1.1.3 GUI and CLI Configuration in Cisco Packet Tracer
Packet Tracer also provides a variety of tabs for device configuration including the
following:
Physical
Config
CLI
Desktop
Services
The tabs that are shown depend on the device you are currently configuring.
Physical Tab
The Physical tab provides an interface for interacting with the device including
powering it on or off or installing different modules, such as a wireless network
interface card (NIC).
Config Tab
For intermediate devices such as routers and switches, there are two ways to access
device configurations. Configurations can be accessed via a Config tab, which is a
Graphical User Interface (GUI). Configurations can also be accessed using a
command line interface (CLI).
The Config tab does not simulate the functionality of a device. This tab is unique to
Packet Tracer. If you don’t know how to use the command line interface, this tab
provides a way to use a Packet Tracer-only GUI to configure basic settings. As
settings are changed in the GUI, the equivalent CLI commands appear in the
Equivalent IOS Commands window. This helps you to learn the CLI commands and
the Cisco Internetwork Operating System (IOS) while you are using the Config tab.
For example, in the figure, the user has configured MyRouter as the name of the
device. The Equivalent IOS Commands window shows the IOS command that
achieves the same results in the CLI.
In addition, device configuration files can be saved, loaded, erased, and exported here.
CLI Tab
The CLI tab provides access to the command line interface of a Cisco device. Using
the CLI tab requires knowledge of device configuration with IOS. Here, you can
practice configuring Cisco devices at the command line. CLI configuration is a
necessary skill for more advanced networking implementations.
Note: Any commands that were entered from the Config tab are also shown in the
CLI tab.
Desktop Tab
For some end devices, such as PCs and laptops, Packet Tracer provides a desktop
interface that gives you access to IP configuration, wireless configuration, a command
prompt, a web browser, and other applications.
Services Tab
A server has all of the functions of a host with the addition of one more tab, the
Services tab. This tab allows a server to be configured with common server processes
such as HTTP, DHCP, DNS, or other services, as shown in the figure.
2.0.1 Cisco Packet Tracer File Types
We hope you enjoyed the Cisco Packet Tracer Tutored Activity in the previous
module. In that one PTTA, you learned how to navigate both the logical and physical
interface, identify devices and connection types, and rename a device. These are all
skills you will need to work in any type of Packet Tracer activity. Speaking of types
of PT activities, it is important to understand the different file types that you will find
when using Cisco Packet Tracer.
Packet Tracer has the ability to create four different types of files. These file types are
used for different purposes and include: .pka, .pkt, .pksz, and .pkz.
.pka
The .pka file type is a Packet Tracer Activity file and is the file type you will
experience most often. Think of the “a” in .pka as meaning “activity.” A Packet
Tracer Activity has an instructions window. The activity is usually scored as well.
This file type contains two networks: an initial network and an answer network. The
initial network opens when you launch the activity. The answer network runs in the
background and can be used to provide scoring and feedback to learners as they
complete the activity. Learners do not have access to the answer network in a .pka
file.
The Packet Tracer Activity instructions window provides the procedures required to
complete the activity, assignment, or assessment. The instructions window can also
display completion percentage to track how much of the activity has been successfully
completed. The Check Results feature can be enabled to provide feedback.
.pkt
The .pkt file type is created when a simulated network is built in Packet Tracer and
saved. The .pkt file can also have graphic background images embedded within it.
However, .pkt files have no instructions window or activity scoring.
.pksz
The .pksz file type is specific to Packet Tracer Tutored Activities (PTTA). These files
bundle a .pka file, media assets, and a scripting file for the hinting system. These
activities provide support, in the form of contextualized hints, for students who are
working on completing the activity.
.pkz
You will see Save As PKZ... in the File menu. This file type was previously used to
embed images and other files in a Packet Tracer file. However, images are now
embedded directly within a regular .pkt or .pka file by default. Therefore, consider
.pkz as a deprecated file type.
2.0.2 Cisco Packet Tracer Assessments
There are two types of assessment items that take advantage of Packet Tracer. These
include Packet Tracer Media Objects (PTMO) and Packet Tracer Skills Assessments
(PTSA). PTMOs can be either a .pkt or .pka file. A PTMO will show up inline with a
question on your quiz, module exam, or some other type of graded assessment. You
launch the .pkt or .pka file directly from inside the assessment. Typically, you
configure the network or investigate the topology, and then answer a multiple choice
assessment question or questions.
You can encounter PTSAs at a mid-point in a course or at the end of the course.
PTSAs are summative skill assessments in which you demonstrate your skill by
implementing the technologies that you have learned. PTSAs are standalone
assessments, have their own grading engine, and the results are recorded in a course
gradebook, if there is one. After completing a PTSA, you receive item level feedback
for each graded component.
For more information, watch the video in [Link] to learn more about the
PTMO and PTSA Packet Tracer files.